Another Broken Sega CD

[PsychoMistress]

So I bought a model 2 off of Ebay for $15. Mint condition, boxed, all accessories, 2 original controllers - the whole nine yards. I figured that was a good price whether it worked or not, so I splurged.

The guy said it didn't power on, and he was using a Universal power adapter to test it. Okay - either the wrong power adapter or a busted fuse. I can handle that.

I got it today, and the Sega CD powers up fine. The genesis 2 that came with it can't recognize games, but I can tell it's on so I guess that's a pin problem?

Anyway, the Sega CD can't read games. I took it apart and tried to watch it at boot, but nothing is happening other than the lens trying to read the disc (moves up and down).

The disc won't spin at all. If I spin the disc manually, the unit does try to read it, but there's no way I could spin that disc fast enough for it to read. It also makes funny whirring noises when I spin the disc, but they stop after a few seconds. Not sure what that could be? Sounds like someone letting out a loud breath.

So I guess it's the motor not working. There are two of what looks to be a motor, one right under the spindle, and one to the side of that. I assume the one under the spindle is the one that spins the disc?

Is there anyway I can test whether or not it's dead? Maybe a multi-meter?

And, is there anything else that can cause a CD not to spin? I thought it might be that hub thing that sits on top of the disc when you close the top, but with the whole top cover removed, that shouldn't be an issue.

Any ideas? As always, all help is very much appreciated.


Edit: Oh yeah, if it is a bad motor, where would I get a replacement? Or, could I repair the motor myself?

[takashirose]

Hey PsychoMIstress. I hope you are the same one who replied to my purchased Sega CD topic on sega.com. I really can't help on this one. It is probably the motor. You could check out www.sega-parts.com and ask them the question because they are the equivalent of www.tzd.com , but for everything Sega. Take care. It should be a great learning experience once you fixed it. I want to get a busted Sega cd so that I could tinker with it without breaking my usable Sega CD unit.

[evildragon]

a lot of the Sega CD's use differnet laser assemblies... so the motors might not be the same..

the motor under the spindle is just that, the spindle motor.. the other motor moves the laser around on it's track...

the motor does sound shot, but first check the wiring for it, or cold solder joints.. i've only ever seen one optical drive motor ever fail.

[PsychoMistress]

Taka:

Lol yeah, that's me.

I did contact Sega Parts, and they said they no longer repair or support the system. So, guess I'm on my own here.

Evil:

It is unusual for a motor to just go out like that, especially on something that looks barely used.

I'll double check the wiring tonight and see what I get.

Thanks.

[evildragon]

Taka:

Lol yeah, that's me.

I did contact Sega Parts, and they said they no longer repair or support the system. So, guess I'm on my own here.

Evil:

It is unusual for a motor to just go out like that, especially on something that looks barely used.

I'll double check the wiring tonight and see what I get.

Thanks.

i know it's weird for it to happen, but it could happen...

[PsychoMistress]

Yep, but thank goodness it didn't happen this time.

I double checked the wires again, and found that the motor cable that goes to the board (or ps) was seated crooked. Pulled it out and pushed it back in properly and it works like a charm now.

I guess that funny sound I was hearing *was* the motor trying to work.

Anyway, thanks for the help.

[TwistedReality]

That sounds about like how my Sega CD died...

[Psy]

Get in contact with Old School Gamer they fixed up my Sega Saturn and well known for quality repairs.

[Randal-Lestat]

Am having a similar problem to this with my Mega CD. When I turn the power on, I get the Earth screen but it doesn't recognise the discs at all. When I first turn the power on it spins the disc for about 3 seconds and then stops again. Anyone know what problem that sounds like?

I did have a look inside and nothing looks broken or out of place, but then again I know very little about the inner workings of consoles, so it's possible I've missed something.

[evildragon]

clean the laser, and if that doesn't help, the laser could be worn...

of course there's more posibilities, but these things are somewhat likely.

[Henry Spencer]

Sell it on eBay to some sucker! :P

[Randal-Lestat]

Gave the laser a clean but no luck.

The green light is permanently on, but the red access light is flashing. What does that indicate? Not got much Mega CD experience

[evildragon]

that means door open...

[Alcy]

I'm having what sounds like the same exact problem as the OP (one time I did get it to boot a CD but it was like watching Youtube on dialup without pausing and loading ahead of time) - most of the time, the CD just won't spin.

The only thing is, I have a model 1 instead of a model 2.

I've been looking for the cable from the motor to the board, but I'm not sure how to get to it. Are there any diagrams around as to how to most efficiently take apart a model 1? Thanks.

[Shinu]

I made my SCD boot using a wire to by-pass the fuse... but.. I get weird graphical glitches at the startup screen with the rotating logo. Some games, like Vay, get completly messy visually (only when walking around, battles are always fine). I think my SCD may be busted. There's some melted yellow/orange plastic around in the case, but it was there before I even got it to work.